After the Second Line
by Casyn
Summary: Every action has consequences. Pride doesn't like it when his agents hide important information from him. This is my take on what should have happened. Tagged to 2.20 "Second Line". Oneshot
A/N: _Do not own. This is my first try at a NCIS: NOLA fic. This is my take on what should have happened during Second Line. Possible spoilers for season 2, Ep.20. As always use your words._

Sonja forced herself to keep calm until they were outside. She knew Pride wasn't happy about their argument in front of their suspect, she would rather not make Pride angry. It took a lot for her to keep quiet until they were out in the courtyard. She wheeled on Chris, staring him down. "Why didn't you say something? You could have been hurt!"

He ran a hand through his hair, looking up at the afternoon sky for a moment. "But I wasn't. I'm fine. It's no big deal." He shrugged it off, offering her an easy smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He knew Sonja was angry but he was fine. Nothing had happened.

"It is a big deal! You could have been killed, Chris. You should have told me." She bit her lip, forcing down tears at the thought of what could have happened. He was her friend, her 'work husband', and she was terrified that he would end up killed because he was bone-headed and stubborn. She knew that she still had trouble asking for help but she would have thought that Chris would be better at it, having worked with Pride for much longer.

Dwayne Pride took a deep breath, allowing calm to fill him for a moment before striding toward his two young agents. "Enough. Let's work the case." He ordered briskly, catching Sonja's eyes. He raised a brow when she glared at him, giving a slight shake of his head.

"I'll go see what Brody found." She muttered finally, turning on her heels and heading inside. Pride would be able to get more sense into Chris, after all. Even if she wanted to yell at him some more.

Dwayne turned his eyes to focus on the younger man, sighing softly. "Talk to me, Christopher."

"I'm fine, Keen."

"No, you're not. You know better than to hide something like that from us, from me. You had a close call and that affects you, no matter how much you want to deny it. Having a close call like that would affect anyone, you are no different. I can understand being shaken but why did you hide it? You know better Chris." He replied firmly, catching and holding the other man's eyes.

Chris turned his eyes away, taking a step toward the office. "It wasn't important. I'm fine." He shrugged, keeping his tone nonchalant. He wasn't purposefully trying to irritate Pride, it was just the truth. He was fine, nothing had happened, it wasn't a big deal.

He frowned, tilting his head slightly. Chris knew better. Was the young man deliberately trying to test him or was he feeling that unsettled to revert back to those old habits? "Christopher." He called sharply, causing the young man to freeze in his retreat inside. "It is important because you are important. If we need to have that particular conversation again, we will." Dwayne gave a soft sigh, eyeing the young man. It was becoming clear to him, at least, that they needed to have an in-depth conversation later. Something was causing the younger man to shut down and he needed to find out what, before it made Christopher self-destructive again.

"I know that Keen." Chris grimaced, eyes focused on the door, on his escape. He really did not want to talk about this right now. They had a suspect to catch, after all. "Can we just finish the case?"

Dwayne knew when Christopher was done listening. He had worked with the younger man long enough to be able to read him easily. So he would let it go, for right now, but they were far from done with this conversation. "Go see what Sebastian has found. We _will_ discuss this later, Christopher." He ordered finally, catching his eyes when the man hesitated. "Go, learn things."

-x-

They had caught Boyd, it had been a calculated risk but it had worked. Once the Second Line for Lt. Murray was over, he had no excuse to keep putting it off. Chris knew Pride was expecting him at the bar, sooner rather than later. He just really did not want to deal with it right now. Him and Sonja had cleared the air, they were good. But he knew Pride wouldn't let it go at that. The man wanted to talk to him, he just wasn't sure if he wanted to listen. His traitorous feet, however, were leading him straight to the bar, to the one place he would rather not be. He knew how this talk would end, as stubborn as he was.

Dwayne looked up from polishing the bar when the door to the club opened. "Christoper." He greeted causally, picking up a clean rag and tossing it to the young man. He inclined his head toward the tables, turning back to his own polishing and cleaning. He had found that having a task to focus on could easily loosen tongues.

He rolled his eyes, eyeing the tables with a disgruntled frown. They looked clean and polished to him but Pride was very particular about his bar. It wasn't the first time he had helped clean it. Chris set to work, moving to the closest table and starting to wipe it down. He knew eventually Pride would tell him what he really wanted. He didn't mind having something to do with his hands, though.

"Do you want to tell me what's going on?"

And there it was. Chris sighed, focusing his eyes on his hands as he continued to wipe down tables. "Nothing's going on, Keen."

"You're not your self, Christoper. Hiding things, doubting your importance, avoiding conversations...Something is wrong. I can't help you, if you won't talk to me." Dwayne responded, eyes on the younger man. He had stopped his polishing, bracing both hands against the counter and he waited. After several minutes, he sighed softly, shaking his head. "It's me Christoper. Talk to me."

Didn't Pride get it? He had nothing to say. Nothing he could say. He couldn't quite explain what he was feeling inside. He wasn't even sure why he hadn't told them, except that it hadn't been important. He was fine, nothing had happened. But he knew Pride wouldn't see it that way. "I got nothing to say."

He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. The boy was stubborn. But he knew with time and patience, Christoper would come to him. Hopefully before it was too late. "Alright, you don't have to talk. But I want you to listen." Dwayne paused, waiting for the slight nod that showed he had Christoper's attention. "You know better than to hide something like that Christoper. You are important. The fact that you were injured was important. What if his gun hadn't misfired? You could have been killed. We need every bit of information on suspects, that includes if they pulled a weapon on you. You know this. I don't like being blind-sided in interrogations. Nor do I like two of my agents arguing in front of the suspect. You know better." He stated firmly, watching the body language of the young agent. He knew he couldn't let this slide without consequences but he also could tell that Christoper would fight him, today. That the younger man wasn't quite there yet. While he had given Sonja cold cases to categorize and file as her consequence for arguing in front of a suspect, Christoper's actions were more serious. Hiding something like this wasn't acceptable and the young man knew it.

Chris looked over at him as the silence stretched on. He knew Pride was upset but he didn't know what he could say to make it better. He was afraid anything he said would make it worse for him right now. He knew where this was going after all. "Where you want me?"

"I'm not going to tan your hide today, Chris." Dwayne forced down a smile when the young man looked at him with wide eyes and an agape mouth. He wouldn't though. Because he felt like there was something else going on here and he wasn't quite sure Christoper needed that just yet. "That doesn't mean there ain't consequences for your actions. You will be scrubbing the floor and bar stools, as well as cleaning and polishing all of the glasses." He ordered calmly, raising an eyebrow when he grumbled.

He'd almost rather have the whippin'. He hated polishing glasses, Pride knew that. Which was probably why he was making him do it. But that was two sets of punishment, not one. "Why the glasses?" Chris asked finally, gazing around the bar. If his ribs hadn't hurt before, they would after scrubbing the floors.

"The floor and bar stools are for arguing in front of a suspect. The glasses are for hiding something that serious from us. I do not expect you to finish all of it today. I also expect you to stop and take a break if you are in pain. Is that clear?" He responded, ignoring the fact the his young agent's question had been more of a whine than anything else. He knew Christ loathed polishing the glasses, as it was tedious and exacting, which is exactly why he chose it.

"Yes sir."

"Good. Get to work." Dwayne ordered, moving toward the bar's kitchen to fix them something to eat. "And Christoper? Hide something like that from me again and I will tan your hide."

Chris groaned, running a hand through his hair after Pride was gone. He glanced around once more before moving to find the broom. He had learned, the hard way, to sweep before scrubbing the floor. He had a long night of work ahead of him, might as well get it started.


End file.
